NASHUA - The lil'iguana
Show, the brainchild of Nashua entrepreneur Jim Tomaszewski airing Saturday mornings
on WABU-TV (Ch. 68) in Boston, has been nominated for three New England Emmy Awards for
children's television, Tomaszewski said.
A fourth nomination went to J.E.L.T. Inc., Tomaszewski's Nashua design company that
developed the lil'iguana character, for graphics and set design.
The awards will be handed out June 5 in Boston, Tomaszewski said.
Tomaszewski came up with the green live-action creature about three years to promote
children's safety. The character makes appearances at civic events, schools and fairs
around New England, teaching about childhood safety issues and promoting the message that
'A safe and happy childhood lasts a lifetime."
Last year, the Boston television station agreed to produce and air the show Saturday's
at 8 a.m., and the show quickly caught on with children and their parents, Tomaszewski
said.
Past awards for lil'iguana include the 1998 Massachusetts Broadcasters Association
Award for the best children's program; two Kids First! endorsements given by the Coalition
for Quality Children's Media, a non-profit organization in Santa Fe, N.M.; and the
Parents' Choice Approval Award, given by the Parents' Choice Foundation, a non-profit
organization based in Newton, Mass.
Recently, Tomaszewski's company came out with a new interactive Lil' Iguana CD-ROM for
children, he said. Lil' Iguana is also a mascot affiliated with the New Hampshire Task
Force To Prevent Child Abuse and the Massachusetts Safety- Officers League.
